Links 17-19 June 2011
More signs that the season of tolerance for #feb20 is ending.
John Burns on (hopefully) the last days of Qadhafi's sick fantasy.
Docs show orders to starve Misrata.
Good news then.
Shadid on Lebanon's one-man Tahrir Square.
Nic Kristof on Morocco - not sure whether he saw that the new constitution offers little more than the old one.
They're still doing this?
Good Hussein Salem background from Zeinobia.
There should be a full investigation of this - heads must roll.
A well-considered post.
There's a special irony to an Algerian paper criticizing reform efforts in Morocco:
This cable is a perfect example of how Scobey was the Egyptian regime's best advocate in Washington, using its talking points.
A month before 2010 elections, Scobey meets with Gamal and urges "re-energizing" bilateral relations.
This cable shows how Fayza Aboul Naga was the diplomatic side of the State Security crackdown on human rights NGOs.
This cable illustrates very well the US-Egypt debate over democracy promotion circa 2007-08.
On the dubious "alliance" between the Wafd and MB.
Not looking good: "The security forces are bolstered by gangs including the shabiha, a thuggish militia drawn from the Assads’ Alawite sect, which makes up 10% of Syria’s population as against the 75% who are Sunni. This, along with the regime’s arming of Alawite villages and reports that Sunni prisoners are being mockingly told to declare Bashar Assad their deity, has stirred sectarian feelings; some 10,000 Syrians suspected of dissidence are now said to be behind bars. In other words, the scene may be set for a still wider and bloodier conflict."
Good stuff on oil supplies here.
His neighbors, especially Turkey.
Too little too late.
Good piece on an important battle.
That clears it up.
I love how Gates is skewering the Europeans.
Price of support, no doubt.
You don't say: "existing contracts, already considered fairly unattractive by foreign operators, may need to be renegotiated."
North's air bombing campaign.
Map the graffiti.
Some funny stuff there.